Peace & Prosperity Podcast

From Grind to Grace: Building Love Without Losing Yourself with Cliff aka Clipperman - Episode #97

• Jason Phillips • Episode 97

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The Peace & Prosperity Podcast is a bi-weekly conversation with Jason Phillips, LCSW, licensed therapist and confidence expert in Raleigh, NC, discussing all things related to self-love and self-confidence, and how we can improve ourselves personally and professionally.

A bold question at a Georgia club—“Which one of y’all like me?”—sparked a love story rooted in faith, purpose, and self-work.

In this episode, we unpack heartbreak, healing, and how confidence grows from clarity. From Detroit roots to comedy grind, we explore what it means to “know” your person—not by checklist, but by alignment.

Think of love as a pyramid: God at the top, you and your partner climbing your own sides through gratitude, boundaries, and inner peace. When you can source joy within, you stop chasing it through people or applause.

If you’re navigating faith, love, or self-growth, this conversation will help you find peace, prepare with purpose, and recognize real alignment when it arrives.

Plus, remember to join our podcast community—like, share, subscribe, and let us know what topics you want us to cover next. Engage with us, send a DM, or leave a review. Let's continue this journey towards peace and prosperity together.

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Visit Jason's website for a consultation:

Website -https://www.jasonlphillips.com

To book Jason to speak to your team or organization:

https://peaceprosperitycoaching.hbportal.co/public/660d8068c9d2d600253b215b/1-Inquiry

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SPEAKER_00:

One of her friends is like, excuse me? Like, man, you a bit confident, ain't you? I said, It is what it is. And that was coming from a genuine place. It wasn't like I was cocky. Right. It was like, look, which one of y'all like me? Messing around, joking. Right, right. You just me and you. Just being me. Yeah. And they like, oh, well, what he is he serious?

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to the Peace and Prosperity Podcast, where we talk mental wellness, confidence, and real life tools to help high achievers thrive. I'm your host, Jason Phillips, licensed therapist, speaker, coach, and I'm glad you're here. Let's get into the episode. You asked me questions the other day. I'm like, oh yeah, that's right. You engaged now.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm engaged. Happily engaged. That's one thing is to be engaged, but to be happily engaged, no whole nother level. I didn't know you were married before. Yeah. How long? Well, did I what? Was you married before? Six months. Oh. I should have got it, what they call it, Nolan board or how long ago was that? Ooh, we got married in 2008. So 2008. 8808. So I think we got divorced in like 2009. Okay. Okay. You know, so yeah. So I mean that the process took forever, but that we was over with, you know. Oh, put it this way, she had a baby by that process during that time.

SPEAKER_01:

So, and it wasn't yours.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely wasn't. So, man, Cliff, you how old now? I am 30. What? Shit, 43.

SPEAKER_01:

You see, I you did the Benjamin button. You're about to try to go back.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. What a lie. No, 43, man. Just turned 43, April, April, Ave.

SPEAKER_01:

Man, congratulations to on being engaged and about to be married. Because a lot of men and people in general, they feel like once they hit a certain age, like it's not for them. Did you ever have that thought? Or were you always looking? What was that like for you?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, my focus was I wasn't looking for it. Like I told you, you knew who my wife was. My wife was my comedy. You know, and nothing steered me away from that. Like, I mean, there's been girls that wanted to get into relationships with me. Oh, we could be together, we could do this, or we could. I said my kids is back in in Georgia. I gotta get back. Like in real time.

SPEAKER_01:

How did you know your wife was your future wife? How did you know she was the one? Like, tell tell me how that was when you met her.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I knew she was the one. It's a language without saying anything. It was an energy, you know, and I had to study. Remember, I was telling you like earlier about as far as knowing who you are as an individual. I know what I can put up with. I know what I, a strong woman, kind of have to deal with me. I could be everywhere. I can be, you know, this whole Rubik's Cube. But it takes a special woman to put it, you know, and having time and patience to figure this cube out.

SPEAKER_01:

Now tell me the story on how y'all met.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, we actually met, we was actually at a club out here in in uh Georgia. All right. So we just met. It was like three of her girlfriends. And then I was like, hey, how y'all doing? Which one of y'all like me? I was like, get this out the way. And she was like, one of her friends was like, excuse me? Like, dang, you a bit confident, ain't you? I said, it is what it is. And that was coming from a genuine place. It wasn't like I was cocky. Right. It was like, look, which one of y'all like me? Messing around, joking. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01:

You just being you.

SPEAKER_00:

Just being me. Yeah. And they like, oh, what he is he serious? I'm like, no, I'm really joking, but which one of y'all like me? So then her girl was like, well, my friend. She's uh no, she was like, Where you from? I said, I'm from Detroit. And she said, for real? She said, My friend from Detroit. She said, For real? I said, Where? She said, Here we was like, What up, dog? We hit it off. And it was just like, what? Ballrooming. I took it by the hand and I said, Follow me.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And then for her to reach out her hand and took, I was like, Yeah. And I was like, wow. I mean, smell so good. I was like, duh. We was dancing. I did like that. I did one of them movies. I was dancing with her. I was like, I smelled, I was like, you smell like a wife. She was like, what? Nothing. Sorry. I just true story. I was like, you smell like a wife. I said, oh my God. And it was just, it was euphoria. You can't make that up. It was one of the greatest stories of my life. And just for it to be a love story that the world, it still exists out here. You just got to know who you are as an individual.

SPEAKER_01:

What were some of the traits that you were looking for and you knew, like, okay, I done found her?

SPEAKER_00:

It's you can't explain that. Because once you, what you you know what you you can wish for, but sometimes just because you're wishing for something, that don't mean that you need it. I know what I needed. God knew what I needed. So I was trusting God. It ain't had nothing to do with the person who whoever it was, because God gonna make that wife for you. But it was just, and she was from the D. Oh, it was over with. Man, that was that's heavy because it ain't up to me. God gonna put that woman in my life. God knows what I need. So if I stay closer to God, I know what. Ooh, that was good. Ooh, that was good. Yeah. If I stay closer to God, God knows what I need, and He's gonna put him in my life, and it's gonna shine like a diamond. And that's who that woman, that woman was, is, and in the future. You said that. My name is Town. Shout out to Talon and my wife.

SPEAKER_01:

You said something powerful, man. You said that was everything, you had everything, but that was the missing piece. Yes. You know, having having your wife. Like, how does it feel, man? Like now, I've you know, I've been married for going on 10 years next month, and I know what it feels like for me. Right. What does it feel like for you stepping into this journey?

SPEAKER_00:

It's it's I can't explain it. It's not to be explained. And that's what's wrong with people today. We have to figure everything out. I got to a place in my life where I don't know where I'll be going some places, but God got me. My last name is God Bodo. It's spelled G-O-D B O L D O. I'm gonna say that again for you people that didn't get it. G-O-D. That's God. Yeah. B-O-L-D-O. But the definition of life to me is perception. So that's God's blood. And my middle name is De Haven. So y'all do the math on that. So, regardless, if I was didn't believe in God, which is a true story. I didn't believe in God. I didn't understand it. Grew up in Detroit. God won't let his kids die like this. If I'm my best friend, he gets murdered, execution style. Why do I need to see that? Like a lot of trauma. So I'm like, this, if there is a God, why would he let that happen? So why would he let that happen if there's a God? So I said, you know what? Regardless, if God was, if I didn't believe in God, God was always with me. And it's my last name.

SPEAKER_01:

When did the shift change for you to be a non-believer to now a huge believer? I can tell faith and God that you all go together.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, when you know where you're going in your life, and people can tell you, they support you, but only for so long. When all my accesses ran out to the point where the faith, it wasn't even about nothing tangible. It was just the fact that people didn't believe in it and they seeing it in front of their eyes. So it's like somebody will go out. If I'm showing, if I'm going out my way to show you how much I respect you, why would you go out your way to show me how much you don't respect me? That was intentional. That was I was on purpose, intentional and deliberate at the same time. So if I'm giving it 150%, only thing I ask for you to do is do a hit a post, hit a share, or hit a like. I've been doing comedy 20, 22 years, maybe 23 in December. And you know how many classmates that haven't been on my comedy show? But I want class short, class athlete, class body, class most likely to succeed, class talented, class hype, class, someone these different things. But they say they'll they'll support me. So at the end of the day, some people did, but some people didn't. And that's fine too. But just know that faith without works is there.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So man, it's people listening, bro, that's gonna be like they they on the fence. They they they want to have that person that they can love and trust and believe in. What words of encouragement or what advice would you give them so they can get to that level?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I would say this God is at top, like a pyramid. You have your wife and you have yourself. If you could keep focusing on yourself, and that person focusing on themselves, when they focus on themselves, they're gonna find God. And you just meet me at the top. It's like a pyramid. I love that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

They're working on you working on yourself. That's the best thing that I personally feel that somebody can do for the universe. Because if you give me the best version of you, and I'm giving you the best version of me, then we're being obedient to the man up top. And he's gonna reward us with that gift.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, all right. You you give me too much. Last question, last question. What does self- Don't be cut me off? What does self-work look like for you? Self-worth? Self-worth. Like, what is what is working on yourself? What does that look like for you?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh. Turn the TVs off. Turn the TVs off. Literally taking time for yourself. Like, literally, you have to make a sacrifice. I personally believe. Like everybody always chasing the bag. I gotta go get this bag, I gotta go get this money in order to do this. Jason, do you have any idea the whole point of going to get money is so you can buy the product? And going to get the product is so you can have the happy feelings. No, just have the happy feelings, but that takes practice. So you have to be happy.

SPEAKER_01:

Cut the cameras off. No joke.

SPEAKER_00:

Go ahead, go ahead. You have to have an attitude of gratitude and practice having an attitude of gratitude, but spending time with yourself. That's the best thing you can do. The most important things you can do in your life is the day that you find out the day you were born and the day you find out why you was born. When you do that, you live that till you die. And it's the greatest feeling, it's the biggest reward. And then for me, just to know beyond belief that I knew I was gonna have a wife in the future. I told women before, like this, oh, close. I'm talking about we close, we bonding, we kicking, we rocking. And I'm like, oh, you know my wife. But I mean, no, you know. I know it when I see it's and it it just you can't explain it. And that's special. See, God created man and woman equal, but when he lay hands on you, that's favorite. And I was one of the blessings.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you, brother. Thanks for tuning in to the Peace and Prosperity Podcast. If today's episode brought you clarity, encouragement, or even a moment of calm, share it with someone who needs to hear it too. Your support helps us keep these conversations going. And remember, you don't have to do it all alone. If you're navigating stress, burnout, or just need a space to reset, I'm here to support you. Connect with me at jasonlphillips.com or send me a message on social media. Until next time, protect your peace, pursue your purpose, and keep showing up for you. Be blessed.